Try our Vegan Baked Apples recipe for a healthy gluten-free dessert filled with warming spices like cinnamon, anise and topped with homemade coconut whipped cream. We wish you had a scratch and sniff screen! If you could smell the tantalizing aroma coming from our kitchen, we would be having lots of unexpected guests. Ready in 30 minutes and just 6 ingredients!
If dairy (lactose) gives you tummy trouble, our recipe for vegan cooked apples is soon going to be one of your favorites fall desserts.
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Dessert in 30 Minutes
Unexpected guests? No problem. In just 30 minutes flat you can have this Asian Inspired baked apple dessert hot out of the oven with a hot cup of coffee or tea in no time flat and with just a handful of ingredients. These vegan baked apples are going to fill your house with the delicious scents of autumn.
How to Eat
You are just going to love Easy Peasy Baked Apples as they are slightly sweet, fragrant and with a slight aldente texture that has a fun mouth feel. We love eating baked apples hot out of the oven but they are also delicious at room temperature or even the next day if you want to make these ahead. If you add a little dollop of Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream it starts to melt and create this cozy autumn dessert you will not want to miss.
Type of Apples
Apples are in season and plentiful and so naturally sweet and delicious. We were bequeathed with a ½ bushel of mixed gala, honey crisp and green apples from a very special someone. We made Grandma's Apple Pie, but with the extra apples, a healthier alternative is certainly our oven baked apples.
The types of apples we prefer are crispy but both sweet and sour. For example, Jazz, Golden Delicious and Sweet Tango all work well in this recipe. Growing up, for some reason grandma used to cook them until they were the consistency of apple sauce and that is not the effect you are going for. Your goal is an apple that is knife tender but still has a little chew.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Do you have these items in your pantry? Go check…we will wait while you go look.
- apples
- cinnamon (whole or ground)
- star anise or Chinese 5 Spiced powder
- lemon juice
- sugar or sugar alternative
- coconut oil, vegan butter or regular butter if not following a vegan diet.
How to Make
There is no need to peel your apples or even remove the stem. We do not even own an apple corer so we just used a teaspoon to remove the seeds and core. You can use whole spices of cinnamon and anise.
To infuse the spice flavors into the apples, we melted a little coconut oil (or dairy free butter) and infused our whole spices before drizzling them on our prepared apples before sending them to the oven. Alternatively, you can use ground cinnamon and 5 spice powder too.
If all you have are ground spices it is even easier as you just melt your vegan butter or coconut oil and drizzle on top of your prepared apples. Then, add a sweetener of choice, a little dusting of cinnamon and 5 spiced powder or ground anise seed and you are good to go.
How to Serve
Vegan Baked Apples are delicious hot out of the oven plain but extra delicious if you like a little coconut cream or whipped cream (if no dairy issues). We whipped in a little cinnamon and sugar alternative for a special treat topping.
If you hold the coconut whipping cream, these dairy free apples are a delicious side dish to our Spiced Cranberry Glazed Ham and our Rosemary Herbed Pork Chops with Shallot Wine Sauce.
Fall Menu
We are getting ready for an Asian Fusion Low Carb Feast. Please make sure you check out our Roasted Turmeric Spiced Turkey Breast and our Garlicky Sesame Stir Fried Green Beans side dish.
For dessert you have our delicious Vegan Baked Apples with Asian spices for a happy ending to any holiday meal. All of these Asian Fusion holiday recipes are a little lighter and a little healthier than the usual holiday fare.
Vegan Baked Apples are happily gluten-free and dairy-free. If you are looking for another delicious gluten-free holiday side dish, be sure to try our French Canadian Meat Dressing Recipe.
Frequent Asked Questions
At 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) apples that are halved take about 30 minutes to cook. The goal is to have a tender but still a little bite to the apple. They should not be mushy like applesauce.
Store baked apples in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Slice the apple in half and use a knife to cut around the core and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Another method that works quite well is using a melon baller to remove the core and seeds.
More Apple Recipes
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Vegan Baked Apples
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 6 Apples washed, cut in half and core removed (we used a mix of gala, honey crisp and green apples- use whatever you enjoy eating)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon (to prevent your apples from browning or oxidizing)
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter or coconut oil melted (if no issues with dairy can use butter)
- ¼ cup Sugar or alternative of choice- ¼ to ⅓ cup sugar or sugar alternative depending on how sweet you like it. (brown sugar would be nice but if watching carbs then use a sugar alternative)
- 2 twills Cinnamon or 1 teaspoon ground
- 3 whole Anise seed or 1 teaspoon ground 5 spiced powder
- 4 tablespoon Coconut whipped cream as a garnish (optional) - or regular whipped cream or a dollop of yogurt.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 F Celsius
- As soon as your apples in half and core them, sprinkle them with a little lemon juice to prevent oxidation.
- Place your prepared apples in a baking dish either a 9 x11 pan or large oven safe pan.
- If using whole spices, in a sauce pan on top of the stove simmer your vegan butter or coconut oil and whole spices for 5 minutes over low medium heat or until butter is aromatic. Then pour the spiced vegan butter/coconut oil and the whole spices over your prepared apples and sprinkle with sugar or sugar alternative.
- If using ground spices, pour your melted vegan butter/coconut oil over your prepared apples, dust with sugar or sugar alternative and sprinkle with ground cinnamon and ground 5 spiced powder.
- Bake apples for 25 to 30 minutes or until just fork tender. Do not overcook as it is nice for them to be slightly aldente.
- Top with coconut cream whipped topping or topping of choice, dust with a little ground cinnamon. Enjoy!
Ken says
I think I am gonna make this and the apple potstickers as the sweets for our event.
HWC Magazine says
We have a recipe for that too. https://www.hwcmagazine.com/recipe/apple-pie-pot-stickers/
Raul says
Like Ritter sport. Good, practical. Square.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks, this recipe is super easy.
karla says
I wonder if I could use pears as well? I have a bushel
HWC Magazine says
Hi there Karla! Absolutely, you can use pear for this recipe too. We also have a recipe for Asian Spiced Pears you might enjoy as well. https://www.hwcmagazine.com/recipe/asian-spiced-pears/. Take Care
mjskit says
I see a new breakfast on the horizon! Coconut whipped cream? Sounds fabulous!
HWC Magazine says
Love your thinking! This dessert is so healthy you could easily enjoy for breakfast too. Thank you dear.
The Hungry Mum says
What a great, easy dessert! You have inspired me - theres a few apples in the fruit bowl that may just end up as dessert 😉
HWC Magazine says
Thank you dear, we are all about easy these days. This dessert is so healthy, you really could eat it for breakfast.
Maggie | Omnivore's Cookbook says
Very interesting to see how you use star anise in a dessert recipe. And that coconut cream sounds so yummy!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Maggie. Just love that tongue numbing star anise.... makes us miss the flavors of Asia!
abbethisishowicook says
Love baked apples and I happen to have the ingredients! Gorgeous photos, too! Thanks for letting me know about Pinterest. I have no idea what's going on but have someone on it right now. Seems like i can never get it right!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Abbe! Yes technological issues are such a bore. Hope you get that sorted soon.
anupama (MGGK) says
What a pretty Fall-Tastic looking dessert, Bobbi. Who can say no to these delish cinnamon baked apples. Wonderful treat my friend. 🙂
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Anu! Wish you lived closer would send some on over...
Katerina says
I love baked apples and this is perfect not only for unexpected guests but also for unexpected sweet teeth!
HWC Magazine says
No doubt! 30 minute quick fix for the unexpected sweet tooth.
kitchenriffs says
Baked apples are so good, aren't they? Their flavor really becomes concentrated. Neat spices in this -- wonderful dish. Thanks!
HWC Magazine says
You are so right... concentrated and naturally sweet all on their own.
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
I absolutely love the spices you have in this recipe, I bet they go really well with the apples.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you dear Emma. Love the tongue numbing star anise, it is a really nice addition to this dessert.